Franco, Shimon (Moni)

Son of Adel and Jacob, born in the Syrian capital Damascus in 1930. He studied at the Talmud Torah and at the Alliance School, and at a young age he had a strong desire to immigrate to Eretz Israel, but his parents disliked him because of the danger of immigration from Syria (5 June 1946), he crossed the border without an entry permit and joined the youth training program at Ashdot Ya’akov. He was particularly interested in the farm industry and specialized in it. With the outbreak of the War of Independence, after the United Nations General Assembly resolution of 29 November 1947 on dividing the country into two states, Shimon joined the Palmach and went to defend Jerusalem. Shimon was one of those who felt the rescue of the convoy that was attacked on the way to Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus on April 13, 1948. He was brought to eternal rest in a mass grave in Sanhedria cemetery.